Loose leaf binder



A. G. LOTTER 2,055,937

LOOSE LEAF BINDER Sept. 29, 1936.

Filed Feb. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Sept. 29, 1936 PATENT OFFICE LOUSE IlEAF' BINDER 'Adofpli. G. Letter, Milwaukee Loose Leaf Company, Milwaukee,

Stationers was Assam a Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 7, I935, No.. 5,320 3 Claims; (C11. 1 29i"13) This invention relates: to improvements in: loose leaf binders.

In certain. types of loose leaf hinders, the binder heads between which the: body of looseleasves is clamped are expansibly connected by telescoped posts and are releasably secured against: separation: through the medium of. small clutch balls wedged between cooperating surfaces;

The earlier ball: clutches of this type were so" constructed that the balls were acted upon by gravity and were held. in their potentially operative positions by gravity. Asa consequence; the locking means could function: only with the: binder in one position, namely, that position: in which the balls would be maintained by gravity in: their potentially operative positions. Ina reverse position, the binder could not be secured closed To correct this difiiculty, spring pressed meanswere provided to maintain the clutch balls: in their operative positions. Patent No. 1 ,632,249, dated June 14th, 1927, and issued to J Steerirod shows the provision of suchspring means.

The present invention yieldingly maintain the clutch: balls in their operative positions, and has as an object to improve the construction of locks-of this-type.

Another object of thisinvention resides inthe provision of novel and improved means for releasing the locking means to permit spreading apart of the binder heads. 7

With the above-and other objects in vi'ewwhich will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and" more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that suchchanges in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope ofthe'cl'aims'.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode" so far devised for the practical application of the" principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view'partlybroken' away and in section showing a looseleaf binder-ens bodying this invention, only part of the never being shown, the view being't'aken on the plane of the line I --l' of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a partial end view of the binder; a portion ofthe body of leaves being broken away and in section;

Figure 3' is a view looking at the inside'of-the binder back, said view being taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and having portions thereof broken away andin section;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section view showing the locking means per se; and

Figure 5 is a detailed section view taken through Figure 4 on the plane of the line 5-5.

also provides means to Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals indilike parts throughout the several. views, the numerals 5 and 6 representthe two heads of the binder between which a body of leaves I is adapted to be clamped. The heads 5 and 6 are equipped witlr the: usual hinged covers & and are expansibly connected by a back 9: composed. of two slidably joined sections til-and it each carried by one head, and by expansible posts I 2 and l3.

Theback section 10 has its: opposite edges provideo? with inwardly directed flanges M to embracetl ie adiiacent ends at the-section H,- and to limit the separation of the binder heads projections and stops Ht are provided, the projections #5 being formed as part of the flanges l4: and the stops- I E being: carried by the back section ll. 7

Both binder heads are preferably or tubular construction and each has end caps l-Tbetween. 20

which the covers E arehingedly mounted The expansible: posts t3 each; comprisetwo telescope-d tubular sections- IE and L9 fixed respectively to the binder heads 5 and Bi. Contained within thesetelescoped tubular sections are ex:- pansive: springs 25 whose ends abut the binder heads: so as to at binder heads apart.-

licti ng against thesprings 20 and adapted to' releasably lock the" binder headsagain-st; movementapart are two balli lockingmechanisms indica-te'd generally by'the-numeral' 22 each carried by a post L2. The posts I 2 comprise solid post sections 2-? to thebi'nderhead 6= and tubular sections 24 fixed to the: binder head 5' and arranged to telescope over. the'soli'd post'sections 23.

The outerend v of each tubular post section 24 istaperingly reltluzcedasat 25 to provid'e an: inner conical surface 16 between which and the: adjacentwallof the post 23' clutch balls 21 are adapt ed tobe wedgedto efiect a locking action: between the post sections 21 and 24.

' These balls Tl, four for each locking device, as; best shown in Figure are loosely received in radial holes-2'8 drilled in the outer end portion of a carrier sleeve Htelescoped withinthe tubul'ar post section It and adapted to receive the solid post section 23 The outer end portion or the carrier sleeve 29 has its outer surface taperingly reduced in con-- formal-nee" with the tapered conical inner wall' 26 of the tubular post section 24;

Theinner end portion 30- of the carrier sleeve projects into the interior of the hollow binder head 5-where an ex1eansi vesprings!- engages it to yiefd-nagl y urge-the same section 24. The spring 3| is confined between the outer wall of the binder head and a cross pin 32 extending diametrically across the end portion 30 of the carrier sleeve.

all times yieldingly urge the;

into the" tubular post sufiicient size to permit finger 34, the adjacent end portion 30 of the car-,

rier sleeve has diametrically opposite holes 36 of carrier sleeve, which motion is translated to the carrier sleeve from longitudinal movement of the releasing bar through the inclination of the releasing finger 34.

The releasing bar 35 is guided for longitudinal motion within the hollow binder head 5 and is held in its position slidably engaging the inner face of the inner wall of the binder head by a spring finger 31.

At one end the releasing bar 35 has a handle portion 38, which projects from the binder head through an opening 39 in the adjacent end cap With the releasing in Figures .1 and 3, releasing fingers are in line bar 35 positioned as shown the lowest portions of the with the posts I2 .thus allowing the springs 3| to yieldingly project the carrier sleeves into their tubular post sections 24 and maintain the balls 21 in operative positions entirely independently of the position of the. binder.

In other words, regardless of whether the head 5 or the head 6 is lowermost, the balls 21 are always held in their operative positions as long as the releasing bar is pushed in.

As noted hereinbefore, the balls 21 are loosely received in the holes 28 so that while the carrier sleeves act to hold the balls in potentially operative positions, there is sufiicient play to allow the main springs 20 which urge the binder sections apart, to cause a slight outward relative movement between thepost sections 23 and 24 when the pressure closing the binder is released. ,As this slight play is taken up, the balls are wedged between the inclined surfaces 26 and the post sections 23. Taking upthis play also moves the balls against the peripheries of the holes 28 nearest'theouter ends of the posts so that while relative outward movement of the post sections 23 and 24 is effectually prevented, the gripping action may be automatically released merely by pressing the binder heads together. 7

To release the gripping action and allow the binder headsto separate under action of the springs 20 contained within the posts l3, the carrier sleeves are pulled inwardly by actuating the releasing bar 35. As the releasing bar 35 is pulled out, the inclination of its releasing fingers 34 acting against the rollers 33 pulls the carrier sleeves into the binder head 5 and moves the balls 21 away from the inclined surfaces 26.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, that thisinvention provides a ball clutch locking means for loose leaf binders which is of simple and practical construction, and that by virtue of the novel means employed for releasing the gripping action, operation of the binder is materially improved.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a loose leaf binder, hollow binder heads, expansible means connecting the binder heads "wedged between said endwise shifting of the the binder'head including an expansible post having a tubular post section attached to one of the binder heads and ,a complementary post section telescoped within thektubular section and carried by the other binder head, an inner conical wall on the tubular post section, clutch balls adapted to be conical wall and the complementary post section to secure the post sections against ,movement apart, a carrier sleeve slidabl ein the'tubular post section and carrying the clutch balls, said carrier sleeve projecting into the hollow'binder head to which the tubu- ,1ar..post.section.is.attached, an expansive spring the carrier sleeve outwardly of to slide the same into a position maintaining the clutch balls in operative position, a releasing bar longitudinally slidable in said hollow binder head, a releasing finger on said bar having an inclined portion projecting through a hole in the carrier sleeve portion within the hollow binder head to extend diametrically across said portion of the carrier sleeve, and a cross pin carried by said portion of the sleeve to be acted upon by said inclined part of the releasing finger so nal shifting of the releasing bar draws the carrier sleeve into the binder head to withdraw the clutch balls from the conical wall and release the post sections for separation.

yieldingly urging 2. In a loose leaf binder having binder heads,

one of which is hollow, connected by expansible posts, means for releasably holding the binder heads against movement apart while permitting movement thereof together, a sleeve slidable within one postin one direction to release the holding means and in the other direction to engage the holding means, one end of said sleeve projecting into the hollow binder head, a spring in said binder head acting on the sleeve to yieldingly urge the same in said second mentioned direction, a releasing bar slidable in the hollow binder head, a cam finger on said bar passing transversely through openings in the sleeve, and a cross pin carried by the sleeve for engagement with the cam finger whereby movement of the releasing bar in one direction moves the sleeve in said first mentioned direction against the action of the spring.

3. In a loose leaf binder having binder heads, one of which is hollow, connected by expansible posts, means for releasably holding the binder heads against movement apart while permitting movement thereof together, a sleeve slidable within one post in one direction to release the holding means and in the other direction to engage the holding means, one end of said sleeve projecting into the hollow binder head, a spring in said hollow binder head in line with the sleeve for yieldingly urging the sleeve in said second mentioned direction, a releasing bar slidable in the binder head, a cam finger carried by the releasing bar passing transversely through openings in the sleeve, and a cross pin carried by the sleeve for engagement with the cam finger so that movement of the releasing bar in one direction is effective to move the sleeve in said first named direction, and said cross pin being engaged by the spring to thereby transmit the force of the spring to the sleeve.

ADOLPH G. LOTTER.

that longitudi- 

